Stagehands of the Mirror
by xXxAnGeLFLoNnExXx
Summary: When Kagami went to Japan, meeting a restless spirit was not in his plans, much less befriending a Basketball-loving one. And nope, he was not falling for the cute blue-haired ghost. Really. Spirit!Kuroko. KagaKuro. Fluff and a bit of drama. One-shot, a very long one.


**The title can be roughly translated as **Kagami no Kuroko **(or Kagami's Kuroko). It's (obviously) a play on their surnames. 'Kuroko' means **Stagehands** and 'Kagami' means **Mirror.

**Among my upcoming fics, I'm happy to announce that I finished my first Kurobas (and KagaKuro) fic/one-shot! Also, I just took my last written midterm exam this morning~! That means I can focus on writing updates/one-shots from now on. *cheers and claps***

**Anyways, this was inspired by Kuroko's appear-disappear acts and his tendency to get unnoticed.**

**Why KagaKuro? Well, it's the most practical pairing in my head for the story (it's sort of impossible to pair Kuroko with any of the GoM with the given setting, and it's hard to write everyone else, so there). My OTP is Uke!Kuroko harem, so all is good.**

**It's pretty long, so please bear with it.**

**R & R.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

_"I… I'm really terrible," Kuroko muttered as he looked at the dark sky, thinking about his previous conversation with his childhood friend, Ogiwara Shigehiro. He was the worst— he lied and made a girl cry; Akashi, once his gentle and compassionate captain, changed drastically; and here he was, unable to do anything about his dysfucntional team-slash-friends._

_His train of thought was broken when he heard the familiar sound of a dribbling ball._

_"Hey, you. Move aside if you don't plan to use the court."_

_The phantom player turned around only to see a tall, well-built male with striking red hair and split eyebrows. However, the blue-haired teen didn't pay attention to that. What caught his interest was the look in the taller teen's eyes. It was the same gleam in a certain tanned player before he started to stray from his path._

"The only one who can beat me, is me!"

_Light blue orbs became downcast. He really didn't want to be reminded of that painful moment; the time when his 'Light' decided to abandon him completely. Because of that, his voice sounded more subdued and less monotone that it usually was. "I'm sorry." And Kuroko walked passed him._

_Somehow, the other picked up his predicament; or at least, his troubled aura as if he was bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. He took a glance at the shorter male and noticed the faraway light in his eyes when he saw the court. "Hey, are you from a Basketball team?"_

_Kuroko paused. "I guess so."_

_"Oh," The redhead replied before shooting the ball into the hoop. "I see."_

_For some unknown reason, he couldn't stand to see the pained gleam in the blue-haired teen's eyes. It was the same look in him during his stand-off with his surrogate brother back in America. Besides, that expression didn't suit him, he mused. So as to relieve him of his sorrow, even for a teeny, tiny bit, he decided to say more. _

_"Even though it has nothing to do with me, you should continue giving it your best."_

_Since his back was turned to the other, he didn't see the phantom's eyes widen before returning to its emotionless state. A small, fleeting smile was on the shorter teen's face before he left the court._

_"Thank you, Stranger-kun." Though his voice was soft, the red-haired male heard it._

_Kuroko would never forget that day._

* * *

It was a normal day for one Kagami Taiga.

He played a game against his upperclassmen in Seirin and he headed to Maji Burgers in hopes of stuffing himself silly after a day of hard work (listening to teachers were a pain sometimes). After leaving the store, he decided to stop by the nearest court to pass the time before going home.

When he arrived at the court, a group of elementary kids were running out from it.

"GHOST!"

"Waaahh!"

"Let's get outta here!"

"I wasn't the only one who saw that, right?!"

"Y-Y-Yeah, the ball moved on its o-o-own!"

Kagami raised an eyebrow at the screaming children. He went inside and picked up the ball they left behind. He snorted after shooting it. Ghost, really? How immature. "Brats." The redhead murmured and realized that the place was empty. He excitedly rubbed his hands together at the prospect of having the court to himself. He really shouldn't be one to talk about maturity.

And that's exactly what the voice that came from behind exclaimed. "You're one to talk about being mature, Stranger-kun."

The redhead's breath hitched in surprise. His grip on the ball loosened before turning around abruptly only to see a deadpanned blue-haired boy.

Wait.

Had he been there from the start? Why didn't he say anything?

So much for his plans of monopolizing the Basketball court.

There was something awfully familiar about the other, but he couldn't pinpoint it. And then he realized that the shorter male _was transparent_. It took a few minutes before he yelled—not screamed, because that's only appropriate for girls and little kids—and scampered away from the mysterious teen.

"Ah," The bluenet said. "Stranger-kun must be stupider than I thought, reacting to my appearance quite slowly."

Okay, for a ghost, he wasn't _that_ scary, despite his great fear of them. In fact, he looked like an average high school student; and it helped that he angered him off with his words. His hands were balled into fists and an irritated tick mark appeared on his forehead. "What did you just say?"

"I said, 'Ah, Stranger-kun must be'—"

Kagami interrupted him before he could say anything else. "I know what you said! It was a rhetorical question."

"I didn't know you knew that. It seems that my earlier assumptions were wrong."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Somehow, it was relatively easy and normal for Kagami to talk to a spirit of a dead guy. It was odd and unrealistic, but Kuroko (Kagami doesn't know his name, though) supposed that his carefree nature came with his hard-headedness. "So why are you talking to me casually?"

The taller male shrugged his shoulders. "I know I'm supposed to be scared shitless that I'm talking to a see-through guy, but I could care less right now." Especially since the other pissed him off with his blunt nature.

"As expected, you really are dense." He was met with shouts of protest. "Only the fearless and the idiots would converse with the dead like me."

It was then that he noted the terms the other used. "Why am I an idiot instead of fearless?" The shorter teen also shrugged his shoulders in response. "You looked like one." His blood boiled. That statement was out of the line. He gritted his teeth in anger, but couldn't retaliate because, well, you can't punch a ghost.

"Anyways, Stranger-kun—"

"Stop it with that 'Stranger-kun' thing. It sounds awkward!"

"But I do not know your name. What else am I supposed to call you?" Kuroko tilted his head to the side—and dammit, _no_, he did not think it was cute and rather fitting—before continuing to speak. "Would you give me a suggestion?"

"Instead of a suggestion, I'll just tell you my name," The redhead sighed. "I'm Kagami Taiga. You?"

"I won't give my name to a potentially dangerous person."

"BUT YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD!" Kagami roared in exasperation. "You're the one who talked to me first. Besides, even if I was dangerous, I can't hurt you!" There was no way this ghost could anger him more than he already had.

"That last one sounded so wrong, Kagami-kun, but I am touched by your sincerity."

He took back his words. Dead guy or not, he truly wanted to give him a good punch to the face.

"Why you— bah, forget it." Kuroko was about to say more when he cut him off. "Don't say it." The blue-haired ghost closed his mouth. Kagami scratched the back of his head. Their conversation was very stressful and it wasn't everyday that you can have a chat with a transparent person. While he was musing, he felt a burning stare on him and saw the other looking straight at him. His eyes twitched. _'That stare of his is unnerving.'_

"What were you going to say before?"

"You're a part of your Basketball team, right?"

He raised an eyebrow at that. "Yeah, so?"

"Do you know about the Generation of Miracles?"

He vaguely remembered the title coming up during the talks between Riko and his upperclassmen, but they never elaborated. "I heard of them from Coach, but I don't exactly know the details. What's so special about them? Japanese Basketball is the same everywhere. It's weak."

"They are very powerful and true prodigies in Basketball. Each have their own specialty and particular skills when it comes to the sport. They also split up once they graduated from middle school." Kuroko had a hard time explaining because he had been looking straight into Kagami's eyes all this time, which needed him to stretch his neck upwards for the duration of their conversation.

"If I were to go one-on-one with them now, how would I do?" The redhead curiously asked. Why make such a big deal about some group of players? Were they really that good? And 'Miracles'? Psh… yeah, right. They're probably a bunch of stuck-up players who never lost once, so they thought they were invincible.

He wasn't aware that he was saying it out loud. It made Kuroko reassess the other again. For a Bakagami (the nickname suited him and the ghost thought he was a basketball idiot on their first meeting, which Kagami obviously didn't remember), he was quite perceptive when he wanted to be. Perhaps the red-haired player is less predictable than he was originally accounted for.

Add the fact that he has great untapped potential, maybe Kagami was the person who could beat them: the Miracle who didn't become one of the Miracles.

The phantom player decided to reply. "You would be instantly annihilated."

"Can't you say that in a different way?"

"No," He answered bluntly. "Moreover, when they split up, they joined different veteran schools this year. There is no doubt that one of them will be standing at the top."

Kagami laughed out loud. For a dead person, he could be hilarious and slightly ridiculous. Just because they were a part of some elite Basketball team doesn't mean they can't be beated. "Hahahaha! Nice, I'm really fired up! That's it," He threw his arms up in the air. "I'll take all of them down and become the number one in Japan!"

Kuroko waved his hand dismissively. "I think it's impossible—"

"Hey!"

"—alone," He ended. "I don't know how far you'll go, but with your current level, you don't hold a single candle to them." The ghost immediately picked up the dropped ball on the floor. "I have decided, too." He posed himself to shoot.

The wild tiger's eyebrows twitched at how ridiculous his stance was. Every decent player knows that they should shoot with their wrist and fingertips, shooting the ball over one's head. This guy was going to shoot with his palms, and… from his chest? The hell?

He was surely going to miss.

Kuroko proved him wrong when he released the ball and it suddenly disappeared, only to reappear after it went inside the basket. His jaw dropped at the sight. "What… what was that?" He gave a dirty look towards the wandering spirit. "You didn't use your ghostly powers to make that ball go through, did you now?"

The bluenet discreetly rolled his eyes. "I don't condone cheating and foul play. Anyways, I will help you become the best player Japan has ever seen." He turned around before slowly fading from the other's view. "And if you can beat the Miracles, I'll tell you my name."

The street lamps around the court flickered and turned off for a second, then when the light came back on, the ghost was gone.

Kagami heard his voice echo eerily in the court, which honestly freaked him out.

_**"Come back tomorrow, Kagami-kun."**_

* * *

_"Poor boy. He was just walking by when that drunk driver rammed into him," The gossipers whispered as they watched a bloodied blue-haired boy being carried by the paramedics. _

_An old man answered as he stared at the ambulance and the local police cars. It was another restless night. "Yeah, I know what you mean. A random passerby and bam! His entire life flashed in his eyes, eh?"_

_Nobody saw the tall teen with dark hair frozen at the side of the ambulance, looking at the entire scene in horror. Another woman comments amongst the gossipers."I just hope that boy survives."_

* * *

_"Is Tetsu going to be okay? I-I don't think he'll make it through." A sky blue-haired woman was sitting on a chair outside of the emergency room. Her blue eyes were puffy, indicating that she had been crying till now._

_A deadpanned man with black hair and blue eyes replied to her with a monotonous voice, but it held a bit of worry underneath it. "Dear, I'm just as upset as you but if we, his parents, are already giving up on him, Tetsuya might also give up on himself."_

_"I know, but," The woman sniffled. "My baby… what did he do to deserve this?"_

* * *

Since the day Kuroko vowed to help him become the best in Japan, Kagami was having special training under the bluenet's watch. Undubitably, the pair had become closer because of that and they both cannot deny that they are each other's light and shadow.

Everyday, Kagami returns to the court on the same hour. Because of the scared shitless elementary kids and the rumors of a ghost prowling in the Basketball court, the place was completely empty, save the ominous sound of a dribbling ball— courtesy of Kuroko, of course. And that didn't mean Bakagami wasn't scared, but because he personally knows the perpetrator, he was less intimidated.

He sweatdropped when he saw the sight of the phantom player putting extra effort in making sure the court would be deserted. It had been a daily occurrence since they teamed up. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes," He nodded. "Is there anything I should know? Matches, difficulties… anything."

"We got an upcoming practice match against Kaijo. Kise Ryouta of the Miracles is there." Kagami punched his palm. "I want to know how I'll do against him."

Kuroko paused for a minute. "Well, you won't go that far unless you managed to bypass his copycat abilities. You've had your first take on it when he came to your school, right?" The taller male nodded.

"Then play one-on-one with me."

"Huh?" Was the only logical reply from the wild tiger. The shorter teen sighed before passing him the ball (from the elementary kids). If he wanted to know how he'll perform first-hand on Kise, then wasn't it logical to play against someone who has intel on the opponent's capabilities?

"Play one-on-one with me, _**now**_." Kuroko made sure to use his 'phantom face', as Bakagami dubbed it. He looked very frightening with his shadowed face, his gleaming eyes, and the dark aura around him. For a petite boy blessed with an innocent baby face, he was good. The tiger gulped. Just because he was used to the other doesn't mean he won't be scared shitless if he ever tried anything.

"Got it, got it. Geez," Kagami sighed. "For a midget, you're still creepy, Shadow." The redhead, since he didn't give his name, referred to him as 'Shadow'. The spirit once commented on it.

_"Hey, you— wait, ugh… I can't keep calling you, 'you'." The male groaned. "From now on, you'll be 'Shadow'."_

_"You have a very bad naming sense, Kagami-kun. Remember Nigou?" Yes, Kuroko once found a Siberian Husky puppy which scared Kagami more than Kuroko did. The red-haired player, upon seeing the similarities between the puppy and the ghost's eyes, named him Tetsuya Nigou (#2), or Nigou for short._

_The puppy actually managed to make him scream like a little girl— something that the phantom was unable to do since the night they met._

_"Grr, stop insulting my naming skills!"_

_"I'm not insulting you. I'm telling the truth."_

_Nigou, who was watching at the sidelines, barked at him; completely agreeing with his master. Kagami groaned. "You too?!"_

Anyways, back to the game.

Kagami had been scoring a lot against Kuroko. No matter how many times they go on a one-on-one, he remained taken aback by the incredulity of the shorter teen's capabilities. No one sucked that much. The first time they played against each other, he was clearly unimpressed. His speed was slow and his stamina was abysmal. Heck, his shooting abilities were bad as fuck!

"Seriously, I'm never going to get used to your non-existent skills," The redhead off-handedly commented.

Kuroko decided to humor him. "And I'm never going to get used to your non-existent intelligence." He dribbled the ball. "Remember what I told you, Kagami-kun. Keep your eyes on the ball and most importantly," He quickly sidestepped his temporary student, and went towards the hoop.

"Think of what's best for the team, and act accordingly to it," The blue-haired male gave him one of his rare smiles (albeit a small one but that's not the point here). _And were those flowers and sparkles in the background?!_

Kagami furiously tried to keep his blush down—_DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT! They're just friends, the guy wasn't cute, he wasn't attracted to boys especially a dead one although Shadow's face is… ugh!_—and was failing miserably at it. However, despite his constant denial, he already accepted the fact that he quite liked the phantom player's smile and hoped the ghost would smile more. He spluttered when the ghost asked him if he had a fever with how red his face was.

_'N-No, I'm not attracted to Shadow. Hell, I don't even know his name! But… but…' _He shook his head. _'Argh, dammit! The heat must be getting to my head; yeah, that's it! It's just the heat.'_

Nonetheless, his face remained a bright red.

Once a Bakagami, always a Bakagami.

* * *

_"K-Kurokocchi… Kurokocchi's got involved in a hit-and-run?!" Kise couldn't believe it. Kuroko, his instructor and friend, got involved in an accident just after he went out to train by himself._

_The nurse nodded somberly. "Yes, I'm afraid that there is a 50-50 chance he'll survive, Kise-san. I'm really sorry for your loss."_

_When the woman left, the copycat player cried for the first time in years. "If I had insisted on coming home with Kurokocchi, would I have been able to avoid this?"_

* * *

Seirin had recently won against Shutoku and the redhead decided to take a few days off before going to meet up with the ghost again.

That wasn't the _only_ reason.

It was also because of his newfound feelings for the boy. Sure, he considers the other as his best friend and respects him as his trainer but… he also feels uneasy around him, his heartbeat quickens whenever the other was around, and there were butterflies in his stomach. Whenever their hands brushed during practice, his face would slightly heat up. And whenever he thought that he's the sole person who can see the ghost, he feels smug.

He didn't know what he was feeling so he used that excuse to not see the bluenet and figure out what's wrong with him. Today, he decided to talk to the other because for some reason, his heart clenches at the possibility of being away from Shadow for an extended time. He could sort out his emotions later.

Kagami decides to break the silence between them.

"Oi, Shadow."

"What is it, Kagami-kun?"

"Is that Midorima always like that?" Kagami reminisces back to the moment he first met the green-haired player. For all his stoic and anti-social personality, he was quite the tsundere. Not only that, the way he follows the Oha-Asa horoscope religiously was pretty much borderline on obsession. _'That kind of dedication is abnormal and unhealthy.'_

The redhead should really ponder about his own words. His dedication to Basketball and finding stronger opponents was quite unhealthy, too.

Kuroko stared at him quizzically. "Which part?" Ah, so the ghost was aware of the four-eyed player's quirks, he mused.

"Well, first, he brought a stuffed frog with him," He shuddered at the image of the creepy SG and his plushie. They were actually on par with the bluenet's 'phantom face', to some degree. "then his shots were ridiculous! They arched up real high but they get through the hoops!" The wild tiger started to flail his arms around as he explained how the shot appeared. It's not like Kuroko didn't know what his former teammate shots looked like, but Kagami didn't know.

"And the last bit was with his 'Man disposes, God proposes' or something like that."

"It's 'Man proposes, God disposes', Kagami-kun," The teen corrected. "And Midorima-kun has always been like that. He has a daily routine before matches, actually."

"What do you mean?"

"First, he files his nails. After that, he tapes his fingers. He then listens to the daily horoscope to know the lucky item of the day and he'll carry it on his person." He taps his chin to recall the other details. "There was even one time that his lucky item had been a pedobear plushie."

"That's… disturbing," Kagami snorts at the mental image of the normally serious-faced teen prancing around the court carrying the favorite plushie of all pedophiles. "Say, how did you know about those kind of things? Are you some kind of fanatical stalker or something?"

"Only Kagami-kun doesn't know about it because he's an idiot."

"Why you little—"

And the redhead proceeded to chase the phantom player around the court, not detecting that Kuroko lied to him. And there's also the fact that he forgot he couldn't hurt the bluenet, literally. _'Oh well.' _The shorter teen thought.

A few minutes of running around in circles, the two eventually got tired of it. This was one of the perks of being dead: his stamina greatly increased because apparently, he can't really feel physical fatigue that much… he's simply easy to tire out when he was alive and it seems to have carried over to his spirit form.

"Anyways, it's a good thing… that only Kise and Midorima… have a few loose screws, right?"

Kuroko decided to burst his bubble of expectations on the greatest Basketball team in Japan. "Kagami-kun, there's something you need to know about the Miracles."

"What… is it…?" The red-haired player continued to pant.

"The rest are a bunch of nutjobs who are _miraculously_ great in sports."

"What?!" He paled. Is that where the title of 'Generation of Miracles' came from? "Are you sure?"

The bluenet drops the bomb. "Kise-kun can be bipolar at times. Midorima-kun is very obsessive about destiny and luck, the Ace is an overly-destructive idiot who fancies well-endowed women, the Center is a child-minded glutton, and the captain is a psychotic scissors-wielding ever-victorious kind of person." Momoi is a die-hard fujoshi who paired her team with each other, but Kagami didn't need to know that. He paused for a bit. "If I didn't know better, I would think they are escaped mental patients who were allowed to play Basketball."

That was harsh, even for the emotionless ghost. Nevertheless, it was true and the red-haired male was bound to know at some point.

"No way!"

* * *

_"Kuroko's in the hospital?" Midorima gazed at his father, clearly shocked by the news._

_The green-haired shooter's father was a doctor in the same hospital where the blue-haired boy was placed in. "Yes, I heard it from my colleague and— you are going to visit him now?" He saw his son putting on the jacket that he just took off before he received the news._

_"I'm not going to see him because I care, but only because he's my teammate. It's only common courtesy." And his son was gone. _

_Midorima-sensei sighed and massaged his temples. "That boy… he should be more confident in expressing his real emotions rather than trying to hide it and failing."_

* * *

"Kagami-kun."

"Dammit!"

The redhead punched the wall in frustration. He had been approached by Touou's Ace, Aomine Daiki, and injured his leg during their minigame. Kuroko told him not to over-exert himself but he ignored the advice. He also realized that the ghost remained unseen by the tanned male for the entire duration. There was something odd about the way the boy looked at his opponent, though…

Anyways, because of the injured leg, he had been banned from practice. Not only that, he had been benched for the next three days of the Interhigh tournament, so he was unable to contribute anything to prevent Seirin from losing to other teams after their crushing defeat from Touou.

"Please calm down."

"Calm down? How can I calm down?!" He bellowed. "The team lost. If I hadn't played with that Ahomine, our chances of winning would've been bigger! What's the point of playing as a team if Seirin's going to lose without me? I should never had tried team play—"

A loud smack reverberated in the court.

Kuroko had slapped Kagami.

Even if he couldn't hurt the spirit, the spirit can hurt him.

"I already told you, the most important thing in Basketball is to think of what's best for the team and to act accordingly to it. Winning isn't everything," He lectured. "You win as a team, you lose as a team, _and you play as a team_."

The taller male collapsed on the ground, sitting on the floor awkwardly as the bluenet continued to scold him. "The Kagami-kun I came to befriend is not like that. I know you didn't mean those things you said. You were frustrated; disappointed that you were injured and unable to play when you could've done something to change the tides of the game." His eyes widened when Kuroko lowered himself and gave him a hug.

If it had been a normal day, the red-haired male would've spluttered and tried to deny the other's sign of affection. They were friends and he certainly wasn't attracted to guys (and it was kind of out of character for the ghost to be chatty compared to his usual stoic self). But Shadow, _his_ shadow, had always been an exception. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He felt content when the blue-haired ghost embraced him to comfort him.

"Losing is an unpleasant feeling indeed, but as you said to Kise-kun, isn't life about overcoming trials?"

_"After all, life is about challenges! Without strong opponents, living isn't fun. It's perfect if I can't win!" _Kuroko imitated his voice, which creeped him out with how eerily similar and accurate it sounded.

He had finally cooled down. "Yeah. And that voice thing of yours is some freaky shit."

At that moment, Kagami had come to terms with his conflicting feelings for the other. At first, he had been confused and hesitant on pondering about it. In spite of the fact that it might not work for he was alive and Shadow was already dead, he won't hold back on himself any longer. Right now, he would cherish whatever bonds they have and keep them close to his heart.

He, Kagami Taiga, is undoubtedly and utterly in love with Shadow.

* * *

_"Tetsu!" Aomine runs towards the fallen form of his 'shadow'._

_It was his fault why Kuroko had been hit by a speeding car. If he hadn't shouted at the other, then he wouldn't have hurt his feelings and in turn, he would not have run away distractedly to the point that he wouldn't notice an out-of-the-line car headed straight for him._

_He should never have said those mean things._

_"A-Aomine-kun, it hurts."_

_"I'm sorry, Tetsu. I never meant any of them!" He yelled as he clutched the other's bloody hand. His eyes were getting blurry because of the tears gathering in his eyes. "You're not useless, and it's not that I don't want to be friends with you anymore so please… please hang on…!"_

_"Don't blame yourself. It… it wasn't your fault. I just didn't see the car." He heard Kuroko say and saw a small smile grace the phantom's lips. "Besides, I could never hate… my… best friend…" The phantom player passed out in his arms._

_He checked to see if the shorter male would make it. His eyes widened when he noted that their sixth man wasn't breathing. _

_"Tetsu…? Tetsu, dammit, wake up! Don't die on me!" Aomine turned his head towards the horrified passerbys. "Call a damn ambulance, quick! He's not breathing!" That snapped them out of their stupors. The adults and the other onlookers whipped out their phones in a hurry._

_When the paramedics arrived, he could only watched dumbly as they took Kuroko from his arms to treat him at the nearest hospital. He didn't pay attention to the whispers, he didn't pay attention to the police that came with the ambulance._

_He remembered Kuroko's smile on his bloody face._

_He felt empty._

_He felt cold._

_Because of his stupidity and careless words, he had put his best friend in harm's way—_

_And he would never forgive himself for that._

* * *

"Tatsuya, he still hates me." The red-haired male muttered as he stared at the back of his surrogate brother.

Kuroko shook his head. "Didn't you see his face, Kagami-kun? He, even though he was obviously pained, he sees you both as a brother _and _a rival." Did the redhead not see how much Himuro cared? In fact, they were so close that it made the ghost jealous of their friendship. It reminded him of his and Aomine's relationship in the past.

Best friends forever.

But somehow, the ghost knew that he was in denial; that he was just using that as an excuse to hide his emotions. It was okay. He was a master of masks and no one could tell the difference anyway.

When Kagami first appeared in his life, it may have been a short encounter, but it made a great impact on him. The red-haired male sympathized with him, a total stranger. His words had pierced through his unfeeling self, serving as his lifeline during his dark days in Teiko.

It was love at first sight.

When they met again in the same place, Kuroko liked to think it was fate; that their nightly rendezvous had not been the end of their connection, that there was something more than that. And so, without warning, he made himself a part of the wild tiger's life. He offered to train and help him beat the Miracles. He befriended him and became his confidant, in order to become closer to him.

As time grew by, so did his ugly, abnormal feelings for the other and now he yearned for his company when he previously didn't do that. Before, he was a simple, lonely ghost who couldn't leave the Basketball court no matter what. To be honest, he didn't know why he was there or how he died. He didn't remember what happened, but he did have his suspicions on why he was so attached to the place. Not only that, the red-haired teen made him love Basketball again, something that tore him and his friends apart.

The bluenet saw him as a beacon of hope at his weakest moment. He could never replace Ogiwara and the Miracles in his heart, but that doesn't mean there wasn't room for him.

Kagami certainly was his true light— the light that glued back his shattered self after he lost everything he held dear.

Even if they won't end up together…

Even if they'll only be friends forever…

Even if he wouldn't see him in the same manner…

It was okay.

Kuroko wouldn't trade their bonds for the world.

* * *

_"Kuro-chin got injured because of Mine-chin?" Murasakibara drawled as he bit on his lollipop hard enough to break it in his mouth. Momoi, their manager, was crying her heart out. "What exactly happened, Aka-chin? I'm sure Mine-chin wouldn't let his best friend get hurt like that."_

_"Tetsu-kun… why did it have to be him?"_

_"It seems that they got into a fight and it was the reason why Tetsuya got distracted, not seeing the car that landed him in the hospital," The red-haired captain explained. He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the other. "Here is the hospital where Tetsuya is confined, as well as his room number."_

_In a blink of an eye, the Center of the Miracles and the pink-haired girl stood up from his spot, grabbed the rest of the giant's snacks, and left in a hurry._

* * *

"Ah, so you're playing against Rakuzan in the finals?" Kuroko said as he sipped his milkshake happily. Meanwhile, Kagami grumbled about the absurdity of ghosts and vanilla shakes before responding. "Yeah."

"Be careful, Kagami-kun. He has the Emperor eyes that can predict his opponent's next move." He closed his eyes for a moment. "And Akashi-kun… there are two of him."

Seirin's Ace stared at him. "What do you mean by, 'two of him'?" Despite his normal cluelessness, he already made out the fact Shadow personally knew the Miracles even without him saying anything. There was plainly no way that he could speak of them in such a manner if he didn't. He doesn't know what's going on between him and those players, but he won't pry until the ghost is ready to tell him.

And whenever he spoke of them, the taller male always saw the way his eyes softened yet downcast, as if remembering painful memories. He may be an idiot, but it was too obvious that Kuroko was thinking of past friends. He won't force him to say anything. He does, after all, recognize the pain that comes with broken friendships.

"It's just as I said," The bluenet continued. "Akashi-kun developed a split personality during our— sometime in middle school." He inwardly berated himself for his slip-up. That was close. He didn't want Kagami to start asking him questions. He may be okay about his past, but that doesn't mean he's over it. The loneliness and abandonment was too much for him to reminisce. "His other self is the one whose playing right now, the one who believes that he is completely absolute."

He stood up before placing a hand on Kagami's shoulder. "I'll teach you a way to beat him. It may not be much, but it will help. However," Kuroko raised his empty cup in front of his face. "you owe me another milkshake, Kagami-kun."

The PF rolled his eyes, being reminded of the time he made a bet with the phantom, trying to know if Kagami can stop the ghost's Phantom Shot. If he wins, Kuroko would be his slave for a week. If he lost, he would supply the other with vanilla milkshake from Maji Burgers for a week, as well.

_'Geez, the things this guy does for that milkshake.'_

Then he remembered the bluenet's remark. It got him all fired up. "I'm going to learn some secret technique to beat that prick, right? Yeah!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly while his grin stretched across his face. Oh, Akashi was so going to get it from him!

Kuroko was reminded of Akashi and Aomine's interactions prior to their attitude change.

"Basketball idiots," He whispered, smiling slightly to himself.

* * *

_"Tetsuya…" Akashi gazed outside the door. He took a peek inside the emergency room and saw a mop of sky blue hair drenched in blood. Their Ace, Daiki, had been properly punished with the sight of his best friend's fall plus the quadruple training that the captain had prepared for him._

_"I won't let anyone ever lay a hand again on the shadow I've nurtured."_

_He walks away from the door, the gears in his head were already working on a plan to make the drunk driver suffer behind bars._

_"Because believe it or not, you are my greatest treasure… and friend."_

* * *

"Congratulations, Kagami-kun," Kuroko said to the redhead, whose team recently won against Rakuzan in the Winter Cup finals.

"Oh, shit! Stop appearing out of nowhere!" The taller teen was surprised for two reasons. First, the ghost suddenly came without warning. Second, he was not expecting to be complimented. He scratched his cheek, glowing slightly because of the praise.

"I apologize but as you can see," The blue-haired teen talked to him slowly, as if speaking to a child. Kagami's eyebrow twitched. "I am a ghost, transparent and invisible to the naked eye."

"Stop being a smartass about it."

"I'm merely stating facts."

At that moment, his captain's words rang in his head subsequent to the ghost's greeting.

Kagami was headed to the locker room to change when he overheard their coach and captain chatting.

_"There's something different about that Bakagami today," Riko, their coach, said to Hyuuga. The Seirin captain crossed his arms._

_"Something different? He was his Basketball-loving self."_

_"I mean, he's happier than usual," The brunette elaborated. "Didn't you see the way he was grinning earlier? It's plain and clear that his head's in Cloud Nine right now. He's probably has a crush or something like that."_

_"Kagami? Love? Crush?" The captain guffawed. "There's no way!"_

_"I'm merely stating facts," The brown-haired coach rolled her eyes. "It's because you think that way that you're still single."_

That's right.

He did his best not only to achieve his dream, but also to repay the ghost in some way. He uncharacteristically bowed in front of the teen. "Thanks for everything, Shadow."

The phantom sighed before averting his eyes. "Kuroko."

"What's that?" He looked up.

"I made a promise to you, remember?" The shorter male said. "My name, it's Kuroko Tetsuya."

Kagami tried saying his name. "Kuroko…"

Somehow, the way his student said his name made him inwardly flustered. It was a good thing he only told the other his name now. If he told him earlier, it would've been awkward for him to teach the taller teen.

"Thanks, Kuroko," The wild tiger repeated his gratitude. Kuroko's eyes unnoticeably widened before gazing at him fondly.

Kagami really was his light.

Regardless of his ghostly nature, the redhead became his new best friend; the person who acknowledged him albeit their friendship could never work out, and the person who became his most precious person.

And he was sure that no matter what, Kagami would never forget him.

_'He would never forget me…'_

At his newfound insight, Kuroko felt that a burden was lifted from his shoulders. A warm, fuzzy feeling bloomed in his chest. He blinked to himself and saw that his hands were more transparent than usual. The bluenet was starting to fade.

_'I'm… going to rest in peace?'_

His time was up already? He didn't understand. Where was he going?

He didn't want to leave the other's side yet.

"Kagami-kun!" Kuroko shouted in panic, dropping his emotionless facade. The taller teen saw that he was slowly dissipating, his entire form bathed in light. Instead of feeling the warm sensation, he felt the dreaded cold in his stomach.

"What's happening?!" The wild tiger yelled. Was he not going to see him anymore? The other was a ghost but he wasn't prepared to say goodbye.

"I'm not doing anything."

If… if he really was going for good, then this was his chance to say it!

"I really like you!"

The fading ghost was flabbergasted and happy at the same time. He felt the same way. But he needed to clarify one thing to his friend. "I'm sorry."

"I see." Kagami's face fell. "Well, this is embarrassing."

No. This wasn't how the redhead was supposed to react! _'I need to explain it more.'_

"I don't think you understand—"

He interrupted him before he could speak anything else. "But you don't like me that way, right?"

There was no time. He had to hurry.

"Kagami-kun, I don't like you because I lo—" Just when he was about to confess, Kuroko was gone in a flash of light.

The red-haired teen sighed before going down on his knees, emotionally drained. He knew there was a chance that the ghost didn't return his affections, but it hurts. And at his last moments here on Earth, he had to ruin their friendship. He heard a soft bark from his side and saw Nigou, left behind. The puppy came to him and nuzzled his leg gently. Kagami ruffled the dog's fur.

"He's gone."

What was he about to say back then?

Lock?

Look?

…Loathe?

His heart was crushed into pieces.

_'That must be it. He did say he didn't like me.'_

* * *

_"Is he still there?" A nurse asked her colleague._

_She nodded. "Yeah, poor boy. His parents and friends constantly visit him but there's not much progress."_

_The pair looked visible sad for the confined boy. He was young and then his world crashes down on him. So it should've been obvious that they were pleasantly surprised when they received the news._

_"Everyone, it's a miracle!" Another nurse shouted. "You'll never believe what happened!"_

* * *

Kagami has been in a slump since Kuroko disappeared. Even though Nigou was around to cheer him up (but he has a teeny, tiny bit of fear for the Siberian Husky), it wasn't enough to make him get over the blue-haireed ghost (especially since they shared the same eyes). Rather, he would not get over him at all. So to distract himself from the memories and thoughts on the missing presence in his life, he decided to push himself harder in basketball.

It wasn't just him. The rest of Seirin noticed the change in Kagami's mood but decided not to say anything. For a loud-mouthed basketball idiot, the red-haired male sure was clammed up about his problems. Well, that wasn't really the case, but the PF couldn't exactly confide in them about his love problems with a (probably resting in peace) basketball-loving ghost.

Kagami was an idiot for hoping that it could've worked out, but that's just wishful thinking.

So it certainly was a surprise that one day, during their training (which Riko adamantly continues even though the next tournament would be next year), he saw _him _again.

That shade of blue that he liked.

That spirit of a boy he came to love.

Kuroko Tetsuya, the boy he fell for.

In that split second he was about to run forward for a quick dunk, Kagami froze in place and stared incredulously at the boy, losing his grip on the ball. He blinked and rubbed his eyes furiously, denying that he was there but a tiny part of him was hoping—still hoping—that he was _real_.

When he managed to confirm it, he ran towards the bluenet, ignoring his team's protests. He stopped in front of the shorter teen and grabbed his arm.

"You're coming with me." He pulled Kuroko, _his_ Kuroko, out of the gym.

"Ah—" The phantom player exclaimed as he was dragged away.

"Kagamicchi, what are you going to do with Kurokocchi?!" The copycat Miracle player came with the blue-haired male, but his presence was sadly disregarded by the red-haired PF.

They were already gone.

Everyone had a question mark on their heads. Kise was flailing around in panic. "I-Is Kurokocchi in trouble? Oh no! I won't forgive myself if something bad happens to him!"

Riko, who surprisingly kept quiet during the entire encounter, placed a hand on the blond's shoulders. "Did you see the look on Kagami's face? Let those two sort this out. While they're not here, why not tell us more about this 'Kurokocchi'?" A smirk appeared on the brunette's face.

She wasn't blind. Their Ace had been depressed lately and he pushed himself hard during practice and games to distract himself. When he saw that Kuroko guy, the wild tiger's eyes lit up. She chuckled to herself. Later, she'll have to harass him for details.

"I'm really curious about the boy who took Kagami's attention."

* * *

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko calmly said as Kagami pushed him up on the wall. "Stop this."

"Stop this?" His voice was raised. "You dumbass! Here I thought… I really thought…" His grip on the bluenet's collar loosened and he let go of the other.

The phantom player bowed to him. "I sincerely apologize."

"Anyways," The PF muttered. "mind explaining to me what's happened?"

And so, Kuroko told him about the accident and his friendship with the Generation of Miracles. The redhead had been fairly surprised to hear that his object of affection had been their sixth player _and_ the famous phantom player. He chuckled when he heard about the 'light and shadow' combination of the two blue-haired members of the Teiko Basketball team. The nickname 'Shadow' was fitting, after all. Kuroko also explained why he was alive and kicking in a physical body, along with his business in Seirin. The teen was going to enroll there and he was currently evaluating the school with Kise.

"All this time, you were in a coma?" He asked. The shorter teen made him worry and sad so much.

"For some unknown reason, I didn't know that. When I asked the doctor, a friend of Midorima-kun's father, he said that comatose patients have their 'sense of self' wandering around and would end up getting attached to an important place."

"But why that court? Was it because you played there with the others?"

Kuroko looked away before whispering his answer. His eyebrows scrunched up and he lowered himself to the blue-haired male's height. Placing a hand beside his ear, he inquired about what the other said. "Could you repeat that?"

"ItwastheplacewhereIfirstmetyou." He actually managed to say that all with a deadpanned face.

"What?"

He cleared his throat. "It was the place where I first met you." He stared at the sky. "You may not remember, but we met even before the night you encountered my ghost form."

"I do remember."

"You even gave me encouraging words and— what?"

It was the first time he saw Kuroko's stupefied face.

It was also kinda cute.

The other refrained from making eye contact with him. "I remember. When you were gone, I kept thinking about the past and I suddenly recognized you from somewhere. I didn't think that we'd actually end up like this." He found it hard to explain their relationship in words. Were they best friends or more? It was impossible, though. He was about to say he loathed him.

His heart clenched painfully.

"You know, I woke up because of you," Kuroko started. "I remembered what my regrets were when I got hit by a car. 'Would I die here, unwanted and unacknowledged? Would no one love me? I lost my friends so would I always be alone from now on? _Will I be forgotten_?'— those were my thoughts." He grabbed his hand.

"It was because I met you for the second time that I was saved from myself. Your words kept me from giving up."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Kagami-kun."

His face bursted into flames. "W-W-What's with that all of a sudden?!" Seriously, how could this guy spout embarrassing things with a straight face? _'And I thought you loathed me!'_ Was what he wanted to shout, but could not find the momentum to speak more.

"I never got to say that before we got separated."

_'When we got separated?'_

His eyes widened comically.

When he said 'lo—'…

…he meant 'love'?

He saw red.

"All this time, you felt the same way? Why didn't you say so? You have no idea how confused and depressed you made me. I thought you were going to say you loathed me, since you said you didn't like me!" His blush subsided and he gazed at his shorter companion. He better take responsibility! "Well, this is payback for making me feel like I'm on a roller coaster!"

"But Kagami-kun, I wasn't fini—" Kuroko was silenced with a kiss.

He froze in his spot as his cheeks turned pink.

They stayed like that for a few good minutes before parting to breathe. Silence fell between them again, both of their faces feeling hot. They simply watched the clouds float by in the sky while willing their tomato cheeks to subside. The blue-haired player looked up at the redhead before squeezing his hand. "Kagami-kun."

"What is it?"

"Does this mean we're going out now?"

He was met with the sight of Kagami's blushing face.

* * *

**That's it! Tell me what you think about it, especially if there are any mistakes. Really.**

**And BTW, I kinda noticed that I used the whole 'car accident' scenario on this little baby; exactly like in **Miracles Do Exist**. Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else.**

**There's a little omake down below for all you guys. *waves***

**Ciao ciao~! -Flonne.**

* * *

**Omake:**

Later that day, when they were going home along with Kise, the blond model finally asked the question that was running through their minds after they saw the bulky red-haired male interact with the shorter teen.

"Neh, Kagamicchi. How do you two know each other?"

Pausing, everyone was immediately curious and listened in. The petite teen looked at the redhead.

"You didn't tell them?"

Kagami scratched the back of his head. He didn't understand. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell us what, Kurokocchi?" Kise's eyebrows were raised, completely anticipating the bluenet's reply.

The shorter male answered as if he was talking about the weather. "Kagami-kun is my boyfriend. We're dating."

"Oh." So that was it. Kagami, Seirin's Ace, and Kuroko, the transferee, were going out.

In Kagami's point of view, he nodded dumbly. That's what the blue-haired male meant. He finally understood. They were lovey-dovey now.

_They were just dating…_

Silence.

…_**DATING?!**_

They all paused before their eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

Kagami turned bright red and spluttered. What the hell was the blue-haired boy saying? Meanwhile, the rest of the Seirin team along with Kaijo's Ace instantly pestered the taller PF for the 'juicy info'. They were so shocked and focused on the redhead that they didn't notice the tiny, evil smirk on the blue-haired boy's face.

"I bet you're happy that you get to top Kuroko. How cunning, Bakagami," Riko commented. Not only Kagami, but each and every one spluttered (except for Kuroko). She turned to their captain. "You owe me ten for winning the bet. Told ya our idiot's in love. And I'm not talking about ten yen, it's ten _bucks_."

Hyuuga groaned.

Kuroko's eyes glinted as he watched their antics.

_'This is for not answering me so I'll assume it's a yes, Kagami-kun.'_

Ah, Kuroko, you sly, adorable midget.


End file.
